Nov 25, 2015
Dana Caspersen is a conflict specialist, author, and performing artist.
For more than 30 years Dana has been a creator and dancer with the Ballet Frankfurt and the Forsythe dance Company. Dana has developed an enormous variety of choreographic works alongside the world-famous choreographer William Forsythe.
In the last 10 years, Dana has made a study of Conflict and Mediation. Dana has been creating events and projects that bridge her experience as a performing artist and a conflict specialist–using the physical body and choreographic thinking to enable communication in challenging times.
Dana has a recently published book Changing the Conversation: The 17 Principles of Conflict Resolution. Even apart from the principles of conflict resolution which we discuss in this interview, this physical book, which Dana created alongside book designer Joost Elffer this book is stunning.
Dana works with individuals and organizations to develop the capacity for courage and curiosity in the face of conflict. She teaches - and we discuss - the skills necessary to choose effective action in difficult times. Dana is beyond any doubt a world-class dancer and artist. But what I find even more compelling is her curiosity and drive to look between the disciplines of the arts and conflict resolution to discover effective tools to better understand human behavior and to teach.
I highly recommend Dana’s book Changing the Conversation and I hope you enjoy this interview.